Tethered balloon control



Oct. 24, 1961 w. F. MCDONALD 3,095,604

TETHERED BALLOON CONTROL Filed June 11, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEYfi Oct. 24, 1961 w. F. MCDONALD 3,

TETHERED BALLOON CONTROL Filed Jun "'11. 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS v Oct. 24, 1961 w. F. M DONALD 3,005,604

TETHERED BALLOON CONTROL Filed June 11, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 ATTOR N EYs Unite Sta TETHERED BALLGON CONTRGL Willard F. McDonald, 1220 Fuiton t, Eiirhart, Ind. Filed June 11, 1959, Ser. No. 819,605 5 Claims. (Cl. 24433) The present invention relates to a tethered balloon control for raising and lowering the balloon.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a tethered balloon control which will stabilize the balloon while raising and lowering the balloon, and with the balloon positioned at a fixed altitude.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tethered balloon control of the class described above wherein radially movable weights control the height of the balloon above the ground.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a balloon control system of the class described above in which a single power means is provided for moving the radially movable weights'in order to control the height of the balloon.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent in the following specification when considered in light of the attached drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a semi-diagrammatic top plan view of the control system constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a semi-diagrammatic side elevation of the structure shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary top plan view of the outer end of one of the drive cables;

FIGURE 4 is a side elevation of the structure illustrated in FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a top plan view of the inner end of each of the drive cables and the power drive mechanism therefor;

FIGURE 6 is an end elevation of one of the traveling weights;

FIGURE 7 is a horizontal section taken along the line 77 of FIGURE 6, looking in the direction of the arrows; and

FIGURE 8 is a view similar to FIGURE 5 of a modi fied drive mechanism.

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the several figures, the reference numeral 10 indicates generally a balloon control system constructed in accordance with the invention.

The balloon control system 10 is used with a spherical or tapered weather balloon 11 tethered at 12 to a triangular framework, generally indicated at 13. The triangular framework 13 includes three triangular related horizontal frame members 14 connected at their respective apices and having a pulley 15 journalled at each corner thereof. Upwardly and inwardly extending braces 16 have their outer ends connected to the apices of the frame members 14 and with their inner ends centrally connected together at 17.

A tether cable 18 is trained over each of the pulleys 15 and the upper inner ends of the cables 18 are joined together centrally of the triangular framework 13.

A plurality of endless drive cables 19 each have their inner ends trained over a pulley 20. A gear 21 is fixed to the shaft 22 carrying each of the pulleys with each of the gears 21 meshing with a central drive gear 23. A drive motor 24 is connected to the central drive gear 23 so that upon actuation of the motor 24 each of the drive cables 19 will be moved on their pulleys 20. The outer end of each of the endless drive cables 19 is trained over a pulley 25 carried by a yoke 26. The endless drive cables 19 are equi-spaced apart and extend radially outwardly from the center drive gear 23. A

3,005,604 Patented Oct. 24, 1961 tower 27 is positioned in aligned relation to each of the drive cables 19' outwardly beyond the outer end thereof. A pair of vertically spaced pulleys 28, 29 are journalled in the tower 27 on horizontal spaced parallel axes. A line 30 is secured to the yoke 26 and is trained under the pulley 28 and over the pulley 29 and has a weight 31 suspended from the opposite end thereof.

Brace rods 32 are secured to the upper edge of the tower 27 and extend outwardly and downwardly to an anchor 33 to assist in maintaining the tower 27 in upright position. The weight 31 maintains the line 30 and the endless cable 19 taut about the pulleys 20, 25.

A traveling weight 34 is provided with four ground engaging wheels 35 and is adapted to move across the ground from a point closely adjacent the pulleys 20 to a point closely adjacent the pulleys 25. Each of thetraveling weights 34 have the wheels 35 thereof straddling one of the drive cables 19 so that each of the drive cables 19 will have a traveling weight 34 associated therewith.

One of the tether cables 18 passes beneath each of the traveling weights 34 and a guide shoe 36 maintains the tether cable 18 in centered condition beneath the traveling weight 34. A transmission 37 is secured to the axle 38 supporting one pair of the wheels 35 so that the transmission 37 is driven by the axle 38 upon movement of the traveling weight 34 across the ground. A pair of friction rollers 39 are secured to the transmission 37 and are driven thereby engaging on opposite sides of the cable 18 so that the cable 18 is moved with respect to the traveling weight 34 as the traveling weight 34 moves across the ground.

A pulley 40 mounted on a base 41 is positioned adjacent the pulley 25' and has the cable 18 trained thereover with its terminal end secured to the traveling weight 34 at 42.

A guide plate 43 is mounted beneath the traveling weight 34 and supports both runs of the endless cable 19 therein. The guide plate 43 has upstanding oppositely disposed flanges 44, 45 arranged on the opposite sides thereof. An arcuate shoe 46 is formed on one end of the flange 44 and an arcuate shoe 47 is formed on one end of the flange 45 in opposed relation to the shoe 46. V A

transversely extending bar 48 is arranged in overlying re lation to the shoes 46, 47 and has a pair of shoes 49, 50 secured thereto in opposing relation respectively to the shoes 46, 47. The opposite runs of the cable 19 are positioned respectively between the shoes 46, 49 and the shoes 47, 50, as can be clearly seen in FIGURE 7. A pair of links 51, 52 are pivoted to opposite sides of the guide plate 43 and to opposite ends respectively of the bar 48. A second pair of links 53, 54 are pivoted to opposite sides of the guide plate 43 and to the links 51, 52 respectively.

A throw bar 55 is mounted on the link 53 for movement in one direction only in opposition to a spring 56. A throw bar 57 is mounted on the link 54 for pivotal movement in one direction only in opposition to a spring 58. A post 59 is positioned for engagement by the throw hair 57 so that on movement of the traveling weight 34 in one direction, the links 54, 52 will move the shoes 49, 50 away from the shoe 47 and toward the shoe 46. The shoes 46, 49 are adapted to clamp one run of the endless cable 19 therebetween with the bar 48 in one position and the shoes 47, 50 are adapted to clamp the opposite run of the cable 19 therebetween with the bar 48 in the opposite position. Clamping of the cable 19 by either of the pairs of shoes connects the traveling weight 34 to the cable 19 for movement in one direction therewith. Posts 59 are positioned in the ground at or near the ends of the travel of the traveling weights 34 to automatically disengage from one of the runs of the endless cable 1? while automatically engaging with the 0p- 3 posite run to reverse the direction of the traveling weight 34.

In the use and operation of the invention, as set forth in FIGURES 1 through 7, an instrument cable 64 is connected to the balloon 11 and has a plurality of radiosondes 61 secured thereto at vertically spaced intervals therealong. The radio-sondes 61 provide the required weather information from various altitudes so that complete reporting is available.

The balloon 11 is in its lowermost position with the traveling weights 34 closely adjacent to the pulleys 20. When it is desired to raise the balloon 11, the drive motor 24 is started to begin the movement of the cables 19. The shoes 47, 50 are clamped to one run of the cable 19 so that the traveling weight 34 moves radially outwardly from the center gear 23, permitting the cable 18 to pay out from under the traveling weight 34 at twice the linear movement of the traveling weight 34'. As the traveling weight 34 reaches the outer end of its travel adjacent the pulley 25, the entire run ofthecable 18 has been released so that the balloon 11 has reached its maximum height.

It should also be noted that as the cable 18 is payed out by outward movement of the weights 34, the maximum stability is reached by having thetlower ends of the cable 18 at their widest spaced points.

In the modification illustrated in FIGURE 8, the cables 19 are supported in the same manner by pulleys 20 and are driven in the same manner by a central gear 23( A motor drive unit 24A is provided with a reverse gear and clutch, indicated generally at 62, and permits the motor 24A to drive the gear 23 ineither direction of rotation so as to reverse the movement of the cables 19 when desired. With this form of the invention, one run only of the cable 19 is anchored to the traveling weight 34 so that reversal of the movement of the traveling weight 34 is obtained by reversing the movement of the cable 19.

Having thus described the preferred embodiments of the invention, it should be understood that numerous structural modifications and adaptations may be resorted to without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A control system for tethered balloons comprising a plurality of equi-spaced tether cables secured to the balloon, a traveling weight overlying each of said cables and movable over said cable to pay out or pay in cable from said balloon, and means for moving said traveling weights horizontally along the top of the ground.

2. In a device as claimed in claim 1, a triangular framework, a pulley at each apex of said framework, said tether cables being trained over said pulleys and connected together centrally of said framework and means connecting said framework to said balloon.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the means for moving said traveling weights includes an endless cable, means for moving said endless cables and weight means at the outer end of said endless cables for maintaining said endless cables taut.

4. A device as claimed in claim 3 wherein means are provided on each of said traveling weights for selectively releasably gripping one of said endless cables to move said travelling weight therewith.

5. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein means are provided on said traveling weight for moving said tether cable with respect to said traveling weight during the movement of said traveling weight over the ground.

References Qited in the Ede of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

